Who Steps Up to Replace George Pickens?
Anytime a player the caliber of wide receiver George Pickens is lost, a team has to do its best to replace the level of production that player was expected to have.
Headed into the 2021 season, most surrounding the Georgia football program expected Pickens not only to be the team's primary target but expected him to give Terrence Edwards' single-season receiving record a run for its money.
We are talking about a player that was projected to eclipse 1,000 yards with ease headed into this year. Now, Georgia is left with a massive vacancy at the No. 1 wide receiver position.
So, who will replace him? And how?
Production Replacement
How does a team go about replacing someone that was expected to break school records in 2021? Well, it's going to have to be a collective effort. There were potentially 70 or 80 targets that were going to be intended for Pickens that are now available.
The obvious place to look first is Jermaine Burton. The sophomore wide receiver finished the season strong a year ago and will now have his role drastically increased. Players like Arian Smith will now be called upon to create even more explosive plays down the field as well this fall. Kearis Jackson's role as the intermediate safety blanket also becomes even more vital.
Getting wide receiver Dominick Blaylock back at some point this fall will also alleviate some of the pressure.
X-Position
As for the specific position that Pickens plays — the X receiver — this is typically a team's alpha wideout: A wide receiver that can line up on the outside and beat one-on-one coverage, or in George's case, double coverage at times.
Justin Robinson and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint were slotted to be Pickens' replacement in the future, but will now be called upon much earlier than they expected.
Robinson is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and is the definition of a physical specimen at the wide receiver position. Word out of spring camp in Athens is that Robinson was already off to a great start in spring work and with the news coming down Tuesday of Pickens' injury, his potential for playing time only increased.
Rosemy-Jacksaint was on the verge of breaking out a year ago as a true freshman before he suffered a season-ending injury on his first career touchdown grab against Florida. Both young men fit the bill and are ready to step up in Pickens' absence.
Newcomers
Adonai Mitchell and Jackson Meeks signed with Georgia in the class of 2021 and both are enrolled and partaking in spring practice. Mitchell is the player to watch according to sources. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he has an advanced route-running skillset and has already turned heads during his time on campus.
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